The two year ‘My Body, My Rights’ Campaign will focus on sexual and reproductive rights.

The aims of the campaign include ending discriminatory use of criminal law to regulate sexuality and reproduction, removing barriers to access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, and empowering people to claim and exercise their sexual and reproductive rights free from discrimination, coercion and violence.

Taylor Herring have devised the key creative for the launch and have built a global PR and marketing tool kit which includes picture, print and video assets which will be rolled out across Amnesty’s key international territories. The agency will also be overseeing the UK media relations around the launch.

Taylor Herring worked closely with Amnesty International’s communications team and the acclaimed Tokyo based artist Hikaru Cho (formerly known as Choo-San) to produce a series of hyper-realistic body artworks to bring five individual body rights to life.

The images were painted directly onto the bodies of participating models to create a lifelike 3D effect using only acrylic paint. Time lapse video footage of the artworks which were filmed in Tokyo will also be made available around the campaign launch.

20 year old Hikaru Cho is currently a second year student at Musashino Art University in Tokyo majoring in Visual Communication and Design, she completed the Amnesty commission whilst on a term break. Hikaru became an internet sensation in 2013 under her nickname ‘Choo-San’ for her ‘hyper-real’ body art which has featured widely in both British and international media titles.

Pete Mountstevens, Managing Partner at Taylor Herring is leading the campaign and says, ‘We are thrilled to be working with Amnesty, an organisation we greatly admire. Our creative is designed to engage a younger audience in a way that will stimulate discussion around the key campaign issues. Hikaru was perfect for the campaign and was able to address serious issues in a way that both informs and entertains.’

Joey Hasson from Amnesty International commented‘Taylor Herring helped us give visual expression to a complex and controversial set of campaign issues to communicate to a global audience.”

LONDON, Tuesday 14th December 2010: French film channel Cinémoi has joined forces with TV presenter and film buff Jonathan Ross in a deal which will give Ross a multi-faceted role as presenter, producer, creative director and shareholder in the company.

Cinémoi is the UK’s first and only independent French film channel, and has shown over 260 films since its launch in 2009. The deal with Ross will see him become fully involved in programming ideas and execution for the channel, as well as helping expand its repertoire of original formats in 2011. A series of interviews with top actors and directors and a daily highlights show from the Cannes Film Festival in May 2011 are amongst the planned shows. Jonathan began work for the channel immediately last week, filming some exclusive introductions of the highlights coming up on Cinémoi, such as Belleville Rendez-Vous shown as part of a Christmas Special on December 25th.

In the twelve months since its launch, Cinémoi has built up a loyal base of subscribers. The partnership aims to build on this, using Jonathan’s unique blend of film knowledge and his popularity with TV audiences, aiming to double subscription numbers next year. It is hoped that Ross will help the channel develop a wider audience appeal and encourage ‘first-timers’ to French Film.

Jonathan Ross said, “French cinema isn’t just for intellectuals and film buffs – it really can be enjoyed by everyone. As well as the timeless classics, there are some amazing films coming out of France at the moment, some real blockbusters that give Hollywood a run for its money. If you crave something a bit different from your Saturday night movie, then Cinémoi is a really good alternative.”

The deal is a massive coup for the channel, which was launched by entertainment entrepreneur Olly Bengough on a modest budget, but quickly gained critical and industry acclaim and is now shown on Sky and Virgin Media. It is hoped that the deal will be mutually beneficial; as Cinémoi is both production house and broadcaster, Ross will enjoy complete creative freedom without the red tape associated with traditional broadcasters, whilst the channel will benefit from his encyclopaedic knowledge of world film and his expertise in television production.

Cinémoi founder and CEO Olly Bengough said, “We are thrilled to have Jonathan on board and are excited to be working with someone who shares our passion for film and great quality programming, and who believes in our independent ethos. We really want Cinémoi to be known as one of the most credible and important film channels here in the UK and we know that Jonathan shares our commitment to making this happen.”

The subscription only channel is currently free to air on Virgin Media channel 445 until 31st January 2011. All films are shown in French with English subtitles and original programming will be shown in English. Jonathan Ross is one of a growing number of celebrity supporters of the channel, which includes Martin Scorsese, Michael Caine, Kristin Scott Thomas and John Hurt.

Cinémoi was launched in early 2009 by entrepreneur Oliver Bengough and is part of Mint Group, which owns the legendary KOKO, the UK’s premier live music and entertainment venue in Camden.

Cinémoi is the UK’s only channel dedicated to French film and lifestyle and delivers a wide range of French classics, dramas, comedies and thrillers alongside exclusive interviews with the world’s top film talent, including Michael Caine, Isabelle Huppert, Laetitia Casta, Francis Ford Coppola, Jacques Audiard, Kristin Scott Thomas and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

More than a movie channel, Cinémoi diversifies its programming to broadcast important general interest formats in areas such as music, culture and lifestyle.

Creator Olly Bengough has dedicated the last ten years to developing and specialising in media and entertainment brands that have caught the imagination of leading stars in the world of music and film. Musicians such as Coldplay, Prince and Madonna have all endorsed and launched their global albums on the KOKO stage. Julien Planté, Cinémoi’s Artistic Director, is one of the world’s leading curators of French cinema. Former programmer at the Ciné Lumière at London’s French Institute, Julien has programmed over a thousand films at festivals, institutes and independent cinemas.

Cinémoi has made its mark at the Cannes Film Festival by treating its viewers to in depth interviews with stars and news about the Festival’s events. Cinémoi also launched the first ever Cannes Film Festival iPhone App, “Cinémoi Cannes”. In 2011, Cinémoi will diversify its content to include lifestyle programmes (Fashion, Wine and Lifestyle).

It currently broadcasts from 3pm until 3am on Sky Channel 343, and from the 1st of December 2010 available is on Virgin Media channel 445. As an independent channel, Cinémoi is dedicated to bringing glamour, style and quality programming to the UK audience. It is fast becoming the channel of choice for actors and directors including Charlotte Rampling, Michael Caine, Martin Scorsese, Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, Jane Birkin and Terry Gillam to name but a few.

LONDON. Thursday 9th July, 2009: Eidos Interactive Ltd. has appointed entertainment specialist Taylor Herring PR to launch two major new games releases, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Mini Ninjas, following separate competitive pitches. Both campaigns will incorporate an offline and online element targeting the lifestyle and mainstream press.

The campaign for Batman: Arkham Asylum, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in the UK, will include working with legendary talent including Emmy-Award winning Batman writer Paul Dini, who has penned an original storyline for the game. Taylor Herring will build hype around the stunning next-generation visuals, classic villains and sneak preview trailers.

The dark, third-person, action-packed game developed by Rocksteady Studios allows the player to assume the role of Batman as he delivers The Joker to Gotham City’s notorious institution Arkham Asylum. There, the imprisoned supervillains have set a trap to capture Batman and an immersive cinematic gaming experience unfolds. Visit www.batmanarkhamasylum.com for more information on the game.

September sees the launch of an exciting new game, Mini Ninjas, developed by IO Interactive, most famous for the multi-million selling Hitman franchise. This family-oriented action game is filled with small ninjas and great challenges and will take players from the snow-covered peaks of Ski Hill to the lush greens of Bamboo Forest. Mini Ninjas promises depth and adventure for the seasoned players as well as the softer audiences and has already garnered tons of praise for its unique visual style and gameplay. Visit www.minininjas.com for more on the game.

Celebrating a remarkable fifty years on our screens, broadcasting legend and undisputed travel king Alan Whicker dusts down his suitcase for a nostalgic journey around the globe.

The four x 60 minute specials will be broadcast on BBC Two starting Wednesday 25th March at 9pm.

Whicker revisits some of his most groundbreaking interviews, favourite destinations and reflects on his incredibly varied life and career. In this landmark series, Alan Whicker takes us on an autobiographical journey through the second half of the 20th century. Classic clips from Whicker’s World are inter-cut with new material as the nation’s best-known international reporter retraces his steps, catches up with past interviewees and reflects on how the world has changed – for good and bad – over the last six decades.

An extraordinary series reveals the number of genuine TV firsts established by Whicker – moments that have been endlessly copied ever since. Apart from landmark interviews with a diverse mix of characters ranging from Papa Doc to John Paul Getty, Whicker was a pioneer who brought subjects including plastic surgery, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, gay weddings, polygamy, swinging and gun-toting cops, fly-on-the-wall style, to British screens for the first time. There’s also the poignant, prophetic last ever interview given by Peter Sellers in 1979 in Beverly Hills, where the actor eerily predicts his own death shortly before tragically suffering a fatal heart attack.

1. Twitter may be three years old already, but at the start of 2009 it very much feels like we’re finally at the tipping point in terms of public awareness and uptake. Whether following real-time updates from global news events such as the Hudson River plan crash and Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration, or simply staying in touch with friends and business contacts (put simply, a ‘Tweet’ is similar to a Facebook status update) if you’re not already using Twitter now, chances are you will be soon. The imminent inclusion of an integrated Twitter Search function will broaden the scope of the site enormously: rather than just following the feeds of your established contacts, you’ll be able to see what the Twitter community thinks about any subject you choose. The potential and possibilities are limitless…

2. Mobile Optimisation. With the increasing ubiquity of smartphones like the iPhone and Nokia N96 will come a much higher demand for genuinely handset-optimised websites. During our recent Dido campaign for Sony BMG, we helped the record company raise awareness of their first ever iPhone-friendly artist website, which allowed iPhone users to access the full range of AV content available at www.didomusic.com whilst on the move. As the most frequently used function on smartphones is web-browsing, expect to see this happening on a much wider scale in 2009,

3. Social Network Integration. In 2008 the social network arena ballooned both in terms of sites available, and the size of the audience signing up and participating. In 2009 users are already looking for ways to personalize and simplify their own web presence further, with the holy grail being the platform that can allow social networking, email, search, media sharing, and other functions such as shopping and banking, all accessed via a single-login. Look out for big tie-ups between the social networks and other lifestyle services early in the year.

4.Greater understanding of viral. The number of so-called virals appearing online increased significantly between 2007 and 2008, but many would-be practitioners have had to learn the hard way that a funny idea and/or a girl in a bikini does not a viral make. With more and more clips / games / quizzes / launched into the ether, most of which disappear more or less without a trace, there is more need than ever to understand what really makes a successful viral. As a rule of thumb – it should be funny, sexy, or useful. Ideally all three. The success of recent virals such as the T-Mobile Liverpool Street station dance and the Durex animals clip prove that when done right this is still an extremely powerful medium, and we predict more and more big name brands will go down this track in 2009.

5. Brand-wide social media optimisation. With an increasingly web-savvy population, brands can now communicate far more directly and personally with their target audience. A downside in PR terms is that the rapid growth of citizen journalism and social media is resulting in brands having to relinquish some control over their communications. For instance blogging, by either consumers or employees, can have a hugely negative impact on a brand’s profile, with the recent flurry of stories about employees of a certain supermarket chain sharing negative stories about customers on Facebook highlighting the need for even the biggest of brands to be aware that the smallest voice can end up being heard by a huge audience.

6. Online video delivery. It’s now hard to imagine the online world without Youtube, but the site is still only four years old. With web-users now not only comfortable with online video viewing, but actually hungry for more, better quality video, and often prepared to pay for it, 2009 is likely to see major players throwing their caps into the paid-for and on-demand ring. Simultaneous theatrical, DVD and online releases are surely just around the corner…

7. Increased emphasis on ROI for digital PR. The economic downturn, and the tightened budgets that will naturally follow, will mean that decision-makers will demand to know exactly how much bang they can get for the buck via online PR. Luckily, savvy marketeers understand that budgets go further online, and in many cases are channelling more money into the area, rather than less. From entertainment to politics – communications managers are placing a greater importance on this area than ever before.

8. Politics. To date British government and political operatives have been slower than their US counterparts to make the most of the online sphere. 2009 is likely to see all parties dramatically increasing their presence and spend in this area – individual blogs such as David Cameron’s have been an interesting start, but it won’t be long before we see properly executed political viral campaigns in the UK.

9. Privacy issues. As recent stories involving celebrities and their social network profiles have shown, news-hungry journalists are not afraid of using supposedly personal information to create public stories. With rumours and stories flying around constantly of high-profile figures using aliases to enjoy the benefits of sites like Facebook, Bebo and blogs dedicated to unmasking them, it’s surely only a matter of time before a really big name is uncovered doing something they shouldn’t – and then will come the argument as to whether the press has a right to be investigating in this sphere anyway.